Astarte - Doomed Dark Years (1998)

   Black metal went through simililar development like any other genres, only it's method was slower. The '90s was the time when different aspects started to show up, but these still strictly kept the main features of the style.
   Astatre was the first black metal band with female line-up. This came kind of late according to the strong emotional load of the style, but didn't disappoint the expectations. The band debuted with "Doomed Dark Years" and they were engaged to play the traditional Norwegian style. With extended song lenghts they guiding the listener into the blackened swamp to merge. The long term repetitive (and basically simple) themes having the same depressing influence like in the case of doom metal, even if they played quite fast and involved a little bit more melodies than it was usual. Keyboards assisting meanwhile to create a strong atmosphere, and help to result an emotianal collapse. That's somehow similar to what symphonic black metal bands did lately, but this sound does not count as some modernizing ambition, but reminds to the '80s gothic sound, and fits well to the blackened sizzling. The combination is not even leading to any contrast in the sound, but surprisingly to dark, deeply depressed harmony. The vocals are not much different like if a male vocalist performed them (for women it's even easier to do this kind of cawing vocal than to growl, even if not many are trying). As in Northern black metal references to Nordic mythology and pagan faith are common to find, the band did the same, but they've referred to antic Greek mythology. Even though the album is not so widely known, it counts as masterpiece and a new milestone in black metal.